Drying-tumbler structure



Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,791

E. l. CUTTER DRYING I'UHBLER STRUCTURE Original Filed May 6, 1920 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 22, 1925.

E. l. CUTTER .DRYING TUNBLER STRUCTURE Original Filed May 1920 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Z 19. 2.

W077: *Nf e/ ,1 TTORNE Y6 Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,791

E. I. CUTTER I DRYING TUMBLER STRUCTURE Original File Mai; 1920 3Sheets-Sheet 5 .94 J7 .91? 3 If INVENTOR 8.6 m, mi f8 75 A TTORNE Y8Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

Nmm STATESZ ATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND r. CUTTER, or nonwoon, onro, assrenon 'ro THE 'nmnarcnn Leanna?mecmnnn r comrenr, or nonwoon, care, A conroaarron or onro.

narrate-antennae s'rnucrunn "Application 'filed may 26, 1929, Serial No.384,454. Renewed October 12, 1922. Serial No. 594,197.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND I. CUTTER, a citizen of the United States,.residing at Norwood, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying-TumblerStructures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drying apparatus and particularly to that typeof such mechanism utilized in the laundry industry, as for example, adrying tumbler. This ap plication covers'animprovement overthe apparatusshown in applicants Patent No.

1,424,994, August 8, 1922.

A machine of this type usually includes a main casing having therein adryin chamber receiving a-tumbler cylinder, a an and screen chambercommunicating with the drying chamber and a heating chamber incommunication with the fan and screen chamber and with the dryingchamber. One object of this invention is to provide suitable dampers orcortrols arranged in such a manner that the operator may recirculate theair within the apparatus, or may recirculate the major portion of theair within the apparatus, discharge a small amount thereof and supply alimited quantity of atmospheric air to account for the small portiondischarged. The operator may still further, by themanipulatlon of thecontrols referred to, direct atmospheric air through the drying chamberwithout passing it through the heating chamber for the purpose ofcooling the dryingchamber and the materials therein.

-Another important feature of the present invention is the arrangementof the heating elements or coils so that they may bedisconnected fromthe steam line and withdrawn as a unit from the apparatus.

Still another feature of the invention is the arrangement of the bafiiesamong the heating pipes or coils so as to cause the air passingtherethrough to travel in a circuitous route and be more efiicientlyheated.

Another important feature of the invention is the provision. of meansfor removing the lint from the screen and discharging this lint from themachine.

Other features and details of the invention may appear from thefollowing description and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig.1 is a side elevation of a machineconstructed according. to my invention with parts .broken away; Fig. 2is a vertical transverse section from front to rear; Fig. 3 is a detailview showing a portion of the parts about one end of the heatingchamberdamper; Fig. 4 is a similar view about the air inlet damper; Fig.5 is a similar view showing the discharge damper; Fig. 6 is a horizontalsection on the line 66, Fig. 1;.

Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the damper operating device; Fig. 8 is aview in elevation upon the line 88, Fig. 2, with parts broken away; andFig. 9 illustrates the slots formed in' the baffle plates on line 9-9,Fig. 2. Three T-irons 2 extend across the bottom part of the casing 5and are supported upon rods 3 extending from one side of the easing tothe other. The horizontal webs 2 of these T-irons 2 support a bottomplate 4 upon which rolls the truck 97. Casing 5' encloses a heatingchamber 6 and above'it a drying chamber 7 and a fan and screen chamber8.

The lower portion of the casing, forming the heating chamber, isprovided with front and rear doors 9 and 10 respectively. The dryingchamber is also provided with a door 11 of the usual type. Arranged inthe lower part of the casin and forming the upper wall of the'heatingchamber is a plate member 12, extending along and bent up at the rear,as at 13, about the fresh air chamber 14. This plate 12 extends near thefront .of the main casing and there provides an the upper edge of thechamber 1 and extendingfrom side to side of the m in casing is aplatform 17 which extends forward and merges in 'a curved partition 18,forming the rear wall of the drying chamber. This platform 17 and theupper wall '12 of the heating chamber provide an opening between thedrying chamber and the chamber 14. The partition '18 is extended upward1n a curved arrangement as shown,- and termi-' nates at a considerabledistance from the top of the main casing to provide an opening betweenthe heating chamber and the screen' and blower chamber as -will appear.Screened opening 1 allows air to be drawn into chamber 14.

The arrangement of thepartition 18 and the main casing is such that thedrying chamber is of cylindrical form so that it will receive the drierdrum 20 which is pro.- vided With thejusual door 21. This drum is.driven in the usual manner by a suitable pinionO 28 carried tending intwo directions; one discharge, as

31, extending into the passage 16, and other discharges, as 32,projected into nipples or discharge pipes 33 leading to the atmosphere.Mounted within the blower casing 30 is a rotor 34 arranged upon a shaft35 driven in any suitable manner. Secured to the blower casing 30' atthe junction of the two discharge openings is a blower discharge dampershaft 36 extending to the outside of the casing and provided Within thecasing with a damper 37, having a lip 38. This damper is adapted toassume the position as shown in dotted lines in Fig.2, where it willclose the opening 31, and in another position, such as shown in fulllines in Fig. 2, where it will controlthe discharge of theblower throughtheopening 32.

Arranged above the blower. casing 30 in the blower and screen chamber 8is a trough 39 extending from one side of the casing to the otherandsecured to the partition 18 on one side and bent around a rod 40 on theother. Rotatably mounted in this trough is a suitable flight or conveyor41 supported on a shaft 42 extending outside of the casing and thereprovided with a gear 43 connected by a train of gearings 44, 45, 46, 47and 48 to the blower shaft 35. This trough 39 is just back of thepartition 18 and above the blower casing 30, and extending above fromthe rear of this trough is a screen-49 hinged upon rod 40 by means ofhinge members 101 secured through screen 49 to strips 49. I- beam 102which is mounted in and extends across-said casing has straps 102secured thereto with their other ends wrapped about rod 40 to brace saidrod. The trough 39 has its-one edge portion wrapped around rod'40, andis cut away at places so as to allow strap members 101 and 102* to bewrapped about said rod, as shown in Fig. 8.

Bearings 42 are provided for the ends of -the bracket 'jects to theoutside shaft 42. The trough 39 discharges at one 4 ofthe screen. Thescreen normally tends to fall against the stop 51 by gravity but isdrawn back to normal rest position against stop 51 by spring 99, whichhas its ends secured in any suitable manner tothe frame of screen 49 andthe machine casing, respectively. stop by means of rollers 52, whichbear against strips 49*. These rollers are carried by arms 53 mountedupon a shaft 54 which extends to the outside of the casing where it isprovided with an operating arm 55. This arm 55 is connected by a rod 56with a bell crank lever 57 pivoted 'upon the end of the main casing andhaving its other arm 58 provided with a slot 59 for receiving a pin 60which is carried by a reciprocating rod 61. Rod 61 is supported in abracket 62 secured to'the casing and normally held in its upper positionby a spring 63. Below 32 the rod 61 is provided with a cam roller 6'adapted for engagement with a cam 65 carried by the main casing door 11.The arrangement of these parts is such that when the door is openedorclosed the screen will be moved from its stop and allowed to drop backin place with the result that the lint deposited thereon will be jarredtherefrom, caught upon the spiral conveyor in the trough and be conveyedthereby to the box 104. Extending inward from the front of the machineand in horizontal-alignment with the top-wall 12 of the heating chamberis an I-beam 66 which forms a support Screen 49 is moved away from thefor brackets 67. These brackets support a 1 drying chamber dampershaft68. This shaft supports a suitable drying'chamber damper 69 adaptedto be swung counterclockwise, as shown in Fig, 2 to the dotted lineposition shown in such figure, when it will close the opening 15 betweenthe heating chamber and the drying chamber by engage ment with the underside of the front edge of the topmember 12 of the heating chamber.

Supported to the under side, of the platform 17 and near the frontedgeof such platform where it meets the partition 18 as shown clearly inFig. 2, suitable brackets are provided supporting an outside oratmospheric air damper shaft 70 which proof the machine as shown in Fi1, and is provided Within the easing with a damper 71 adapted forengagement with the stop 72 arranged upon the upper surface of the topwall 12 of the heating chamber, and with thimbles 73. secured toplatform 17 and encircling open- .ings in such platform, these openings\esblower chamber 8.

in Fig. 1 and this apparatus comprises a heating chamber damperarm74connected by a link 75 with one arm 76 of a bell crank lever which issecured to the shaft 70 of the outside air damper. The other arm 77 ofthis bell crank lever is connected by a link 78 with a blower dischargedamper arm 79 secured upon the shaft 36. These several arms and linksare connected so shown in' Fig. 7. The threaded portion 87 that thedampers may assume therethrough full line position as shown in Fig. 2,or the dotted line position as shown in this figure, or they may assumeintermediate positions. The dampers are shifted by means of any suitablemechanism, but that shown in Fig. 1 is considered preferable, and inthat arrangement a. block 80 is provided upon the link 75 and itisprovided with a pin 81 engaging in a slot82 formed in one arm of a lever83,'pivoted at 84- o n the side of the casing. An oppositely extendingarm 85 of this lever has floating pivotal connection with an. actuating.rod 86 which is provided with a threaded portion 87, engaging .in a nut88 supported upon a shank 89 pivotally mounted in the casing' This shafthas. an annular recessf90 receiving a set screw 91 secured-1n the casingas of the actuating rod 86 is provided with suitable stops 92 and '93which limit the .movement of the actuating rod to the maximum positionsof the dampers as already described. A suitable hand wheel 94 isprovided upon the actuating rod 86 for manipulation.

The steam coil 95 is so arranged that it can be disconnected from theoutside steam supply, as at the union connections 95*, so that when itis desired to clean the steam coil it may be bodily removed from theheating chamber by opening either door 9 or 10 and rolling out the truck97 carrying the coil with its spacing rods 98 and baffie plates 96." Theplates 96 are slotted as at 96* in Fig. 9 so that they can be set inplace after the coils and, spacing rods have been assembled, the slots96 being provided according to the arrangement of the plates withreference to the spacing rods. The loweredges ofthe plates are flangedas at 96 to better position them with respect to the coils, as shown inFigs. 2 and 9.

Thus this device will be seen to possess several distinct advantages.the dryin ,operation, the dampers '37, 69 and 71 wi l occupy full lineposition, whereby the air is forced from chamber 14 through passages 73and 31 to the heating chamber, thence through passage 15 to the dryingchamber, from which point it passes throu h the delinting screen 49 andback to t e fan. Now part of the same air may be recirculated throughthe machine while part of it is expelled through outlet 33. Then when itis desired to cool the clothes preparatory to removal of the same fromthe cylinder, the dampers 37, 69 and 71 are changed to dottedlinepositions, so that the heating chamber is now eliminated from thecircuit, the air passing from chamber 14 through the drying chamber,through the delinting screen and back to the fan, from which point it isentirely expelled through outlet 32, while fresh air is supplied fromchamber 14, The positions of these dampers are changed by a singleoperation through the operation of hand wheel 94. Upon turning handwheel 94 until stop 92 comes against nut 88, the

dampers will be moved to dotted line positions; and when stop 93 isbrought to bear against nut 88, they will occupy full line position.

Both when the materials are being dried and when being cooled, the airfrom the drying chamber will pass through the lint screen, the top partof the machine casing,

as at 100, assisting as adefiecting means for the air. The lint will befiltered out by the screen 49 to which it will adhere due to themoisture carried .by the .lint. This screen will be automaticallyrocked. away from. its stop 51 upon opening or closing of the door ofthe casing, and will be pulled back by spring 99 against stop 51,

thereby receiving a jarring action which will shake the lint into thespiral conveyor for disposal out through the casing wall. The lint willadhere to. the screen 49. because of the moisture carried from. thedrying chamber, but it soon dries sufliciently to be readily shaken fromthe screen and to be carried off by the spiral member. The spiralconveyor 41 receives its operation from the fan as indicated in Fig. 1.

The arrangement of baflle plates 96 causes the air to be deflected inits course through the heating chamber, with the result that the airbecomes more thoroughly heated since it traverses a eater surface areaof the steam heated b0 y. Then whenever de- First, during sired, thetruck carrying the steam coil, spacing rods 98 and bafile plates can beremoved from the heating chamber for cleaning as above described.

Other advantages will be apparent to those who are skilled in the art towhich this invention relates, as for instance the ability to remove theheating means as a unit from the lower part of the casing without beinghindered or interfered with by the operating mechanism for adjusting thedampers.

What I claim is: i

-1. In a drying machine, a heating cham- ,ber, heating means in saidchamber and provided with a detachable connection.

through a wall of said chamber with an outside source of heat, andsaidheating means being adapted to be disconnected therefromr and removed,intact as a unit from said chamber.

2. In a drying machine, a heating chamber, said chamber having, a Idoor, heating means in said chamber and provided with a detachableconnection through a wall of said chamber with an outside source of heatand adapted to be disconnected therefrom and removed as a unit throughthe door of the heating chamber.

3. In a dryin machine, a heating cham ber, a door, 1n t e side wall ofsaid chamber, heating means in said chamber and provided with adetachable connection through a wall of said chamber with an outsidesource of heat, and said heating means being adapted to be readilydisconnectedtherefrom and removed as a unit through the door of theheating chamber.

4., In a drying machine, a heatin chamber and a drying chamber, said1eating chamber having a door at a level below that of the dryingchamber, heating means in said chamber and provided with a detach ableconnection througk"a"wall of said heating chamber with an outside-sourceof heat, and said heating means being adapted to be readily disconnectedtherefrom and removed as a unit through the door of said heatingchamber.

5. In a drylng machine, -'a heating chamber, heating means in saidchamber and provided with a detachable connection through a wall of saidchamber with an outside source of heat, and said heating means beingadapted to be readily disconnected therefrom and removed horizontally asa unit from said heating chamber.

'6. A drying machine comprising a casing provided with a drying chamberin the upper part thereof and a heating chamber in the lower partthereof, drying mechanism in said drying chamber, and heating means insaid heating chamber having detachable connection with an outside sourceof heat, said heating means. being readily disconnectible therefrom andremovable as a unit from said heating chamber.

7. A drying machine comprising a casing provided with a drying chamberand aheating chamber having inter-communication, heating means in saidheating chamber and having detachable connection with an outside sourceof heat, said heating means being readily disconnectible therefrom andremovable as a unit from said heating chamber, and means for controllingcommunica-' means without interfering. with the removal of said heatingmeans from said heating chamber.

9. In a drying machine, a heating chamber, a door in the wall of saidchamber, a truck adapted to be contained in said chamber and to beremoved through said door, heating coils carried by said truck andhaving means for detachable connection through a wall of said chamberwith an outside source of heat whereby said coils can be disconnectedfrom the main source. of heat and conveyed as a unit from said heatingchamber. i

10. In a drying machine, a machine casing, the lower part'of said casingconstituting a heating chamber, the upper part divided into a dryingchamber and a screen and blower chamber, the lower part of said lastnamed chamberbeing partitioned off as a fresh air chamber and having-apassage-Way communicating with said drying chamber, and also apassage-way communl- ,cating with the other part of said screen andblower chamber, a coinmon damperfor control-of said passage-ways, thefan chamber having a passage-Way communicating with theoutsideatmosphere through said casingwall, and also a passage-way com-4municating with said heating chamber, a

common damper for control of said last named passage-ways, said heatingand drying chambers having a communicating passage-way and a damper forcontrolling said last named passage-way.

11. In a drying machine, amachine casing, the lower part of said casingconstituting a heating chamber, the upper part being divided into adrying chamber and a screen blower chamber, the fan chamber having apassage-way communicating with the out side atmosphere through saidcasing wall,

and also a passage-way communicating with said heating chamber, a cpmmondamper for" control of said last named passage-ways, said heating anddrying chambers having a' communicating passage-way, a dampercontrolling said last named passage-way, and a single operating meansfor adjust-,

ing the positions ofvsaid dampers so as to.

close the passage-way between said'fresh air chamber and said dryingchamber, to open the passage between said fan chamber and the heatingchamber, and to open the passage between said heating anddryingchambers, or vice versa, whereby the said heating chamber may beincluded in or ex cluded from the circuit of air through the machine.

12. In a drying machine, the combination of a fan chamber, a heatingchamber, a drying chamber, means for forcing air through the saidseveral chambers, a lint collector arranged at an incline so as tointercept the lint laden air after itspassage through the dryingchamber, means for'discharging the lint from said collector, a spirallint conveyor located so as to receive the lint after its discharge fromsaid collector, and means for operating said conveyor.

13. In adrying machine, the combination of a fan chamber, a heatingchamber, a drying chamber, means for forcing air through thesaid severalchambers, a perforate lint collector arranged so as to intercept thelintladen air after its passage through the drying chamber, means fordischarging the lint from said collector, a spiral lint conveyor.

located so as to receive the lint after its discharge from saidcollector, and means connected with said forcing means for operatingsaid conveyor.

14. In a drying machine, the combination of a fan chamber,- aheatingchamber, means for forcing air through the said several chambers,a perforate lint collector arits passage through said drying chambermeans for discharging the lint from sai collector, a curved channelmember extendv ing below said collector, a spiral conveyor rotatablymounted within said channel member and means for operating said conveyorso as to carry ofi? the lint after its discharge from said collector.

15. ,In a drying machine, the combination of a screen and fanchamber, aheating chamber, a drying chamber, means for forcing air through saidseveral chambers, a rockably mounted lint collector arranged at anincline so as to intercept the lint ladened air after its passagethrough said drying chamber, means for-supporting said collector innormal rest position, a spring to-hold said collector normally againstsaid'supporting means, and means for momentarily rocking -.said"collector against the tension of said spring. I

.16. Ina-dryin machine, the combination of. a screen" an fan chamber, aheating chamber, a drying chamber, means for forcing air through saidseveral chambers, a

rockably mounted lint collector arranged at an incline sofas tointercept thelint-laden air after its passage through said dryingchamber, a plate member having acurvature corresponding to the aredescribed by said collector during its rocking action arranged in closeproximity vto'the free edge of said collector, a stop on said plate tosupport said collector normal rest position, a spring to hold saidcollector normally against said stop, and means for momentarily rockingsaid collector against the tension of said spring. Y

17. In a drying machine, the combination of a screen and fan chamber, aheating chamber, a drying chamber, means for forcing air through saidseveral chambers, a rockably-mountcd lint collector arranged at anincline to intercept the lint-ladenair from the drying chamber, achannel member having at its one side edge portion a-common. supportwith the axis of said collector and being secured at its otherside tothe wall'of said drying chamber, a spiral conve or supported within saidchannel mem r and means for operating said conveyor.

18. Ina drying machine, the combination of a screen and blower chamber,a heating chamber, a dryin chamber, means for forcing air through t esaid several chambers, a rockably mounted lint collector arranged at anincline to intercept the lint-laden air from the drying. chamber, achannel member having at its one side edge portion a common support'withthe axis of said collector and being secured at its otherside to thewallof'said d ing chamber, a spiral con-.

veyor 'supporte by said casing walls and within said channel member, andmeans provided at one end of said spiral, conveyor for discharge of thelintfrom said channel member.

19. In a drying machine, a casing, a door in said casing, said casingenclosing a screen and blower chamber, a heating cham. ber, a dryingchamber, means for forcing air through said several chambers, aperforate rockably mounted lint collector ar-' ranged within said casingat an inclineso passage through said drying chamber, means for rockingsaid collector,said means comprising a lever arm, a rod having one endconnected to said lever arm, a bell crank lever having one arm pivotedto the other end of said rod, a springpressed rod connected at one endto the other arm of said bell crank lever, .the other end of said springpressed rod carrying a roller and a cam member carried by said door andadapted to actuate said roller against the tension of said spring,whereby the passage of said cam over said roller will cause a rocking ofsaid collector. v

. 20. In a drying machine, a heating chamber, heating means in saidchamber for the heating of a current of air that might be passed throughsaid chamber, and means other than said heatin coils and separate fromsaid chamber for eflecting the current of air throughout its passagethrough said heating chamber wherebythe air will be thoroughly warmed.

. 21. In a drying machine, a heating chamber, heating means in saidchamber for the heating of a current of air that might be.

passed through said chamber, baflle plates separate from said chamberand arranged in said heating chamber fordeflection of the air in itscircuit through said chamber, and

means for supporting bafile plates in said chamber.

22. In a drying machine, a heating cham ber, heating coils in saidchamber for the heating of a current of air that might be passed throughsaid chamber, means for.

23. In a drying machine, a' heating charm.

ber, heating coils in said chamber for the heating of a current of airthat might be passed through said chamber, spacing rods extendingbetween said coils, bafile plates having openings through which saidrods extend, said plates being arranged for deflection of the air in itscourse throughsaid chamber.

. 24. In a drying machine, a heating chamber,.heating coils in saidchamber for the heating of a current of air that might be passed throughsaid chamber, spacing rods' extending between said coils, staggeredbaffle plates having slots through which said rods extend, said platesbeing arranged for deflection of the air in its course through saidchamber.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. EDMUND I. CUTTER.

